The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-12-25
a cAuEoRNIA oARIsTMAs. l852
ii - - NoEMA amsaY


We reached California late in The fall Of
1852. and before we knew Sc could he winter
in a country where the grass was freshly
.sproutiug and the trees bright and green,
Christmas was upon Us, and no turkey in tho
state The children held solemn conclayo
and concluded that Santa Claus could never
get so far, besides there was no snow for his
sleigh to travel Oh.
As | said there was probably not one
turkey in the whole state. and though there
we-s a few chickens, no one would have con
sented for a moment to kill them when eg,7
were worth 81 apiece So our hopes for an
old fashioned Christmas fell lar below 7oro,
and in spite Of our best endeav0rs we felt a
littlo blue and homesick.
There was plenty Of the poor Spanish beef
20 be obtained, and also veal, but a sucking
pig would have beeu an impossbility, and
there was absolutely no fruit IN the country
except such Is grew Wild, and. Of course,
there was none at this season, bat the genius
Of women tor making something ont of moth
ing is proverbial. and the men of the family
thought the women would pull through some
how. though how was that TO be- without fruit,
c--s. milk OF cream. or, indeed, anything ex-
cel. bayou beans. Spanish beoi and a very
few potatoos. and TO onions % season any
thing with. nor snivesi This was ia what IS
Oakland now, but at that time tno.e were but
three wooden houses and few tents there.
The two women put their heads together
and finally decided that thoy could at least
mako a plum pudding, bu. ia the Little
store there wore 40 ra'siu5 nothing but
dried apples They bought six eggs, paying
- for item, considering the season, and took
-omo dried apples. These were put 70 soak
over night and on Christmas morning they
wcre chopped into small bits, and with tho
eggs and plentiful supply of molasss, Tour
and suet, big pudding was put into bag
and over the tire 20 boil. This success stiTnu
lated the women to try an apple pie or 81.
In the meantime big rib Of beef was duly
salted and pcppered and surrounded With
potatoes, and was made ready 10 put in the
oven when Uncle Charlie, who was "a mighty
hunter, suddenly made his appearance with
a BIG fat goose in one hand and tino BIZ
turkey, rs we thought, in the other, botD
plGcked and dressed, ready for the oven
Some one was sent b buy an onion, as the
grandmother said the goose really must have
onion in the stuffing, and for that ono little
onion, no larger than an egg, wo paid 81
and werc glad 70 get it at that price. Grand
mother brought ont her wonderful bag OF
herbs and a little Of very precious sage, and
summer sayory was sifted into the dressing
and tho two fine birds were put down tOcO0s,
and ne all began 10 rejoice that even in far
off California Christmas was not quito lost.
The two birds now cooking had been shot
early that morning. Ono was honker
goose and the other was an enormous sand
hill crane, or, as they were then called, Cali
fornia turkey These immense birds grow
very fat and are really delicious eating, "a
we found at dinner time And when the
table was laid out with the ine1 linen and
choice dishes that had followed the family
fortune, around the Horn that Cinnor
was voted success, but tAo pudding, covered
with blazing brandy, loo4ei just Us Christ
mas like as if IL lad been q real plum one,
though Is had a spris o. "livo OAK instead
OF holly IN it, and although 1t did not take
quito as good.
After dilner we had games, and though
the children missed tho hanging up of the
stockings, they won't 10 bed happy IN the
hope, afterward fulfilled that Santa Claus
might get there 10y New Year S, seeing that
they lived too FAR away for him 10 reach
them on Christmas.